Who marries whom? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Birdland · 06-16-2002, 04:06 PM

Child, you're right about the "secret ceremonies" of halflings. It's in "Return of the Shadow". In early drafts where Tolkien was noodling with the idea that Bingo/Frodo would be the son of Bilbo.

I think Tolkien was being lazy that day, or was bending waaaay too far over backwards in avoiding the subject of organized religious ceremony in M-E.

The old, pre-Christian, Anglo-Saxon customs of exchanging vows before witnesses sound like a viable option to me. I mean, why would the halflings run off to get married, when having a public ceremony would insure having a big party with lots of wedding gifts? Now THAT would be the way they do it in The Shire!

06-16-2002, 04:06 PM	#9
Birdland Ghastly Neekerbreeker Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the banks of the mighty Scioto Posts: 1,751	Child, you're right about the "secret ceremonies" of halflings. It's in "Return of the Shadow". In early drafts where Tolkien was noodling with the idea that Bingo/Frodo would be the son of Bilbo. I think Tolkien was being lazy that day, or was bending waaaay too far over backwards in avoiding the subject of organized religious ceremony in M-E. The old, pre-Christian, Anglo-Saxon customs of exchanging vows before witnesses sound like a viable option to me. I mean, why would the halflings run off to get married, when having a public ceremony would insure having a big party with lots of wedding gifts? Now THAT would be the way they do it in The Shire!